South African Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, said the country was expected to deposit the instrument of ratification during the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU in February 2019. The Agreement will enter into force once 22 member states have deposited their instruments of ratification.

"AfCFTA, comprises of 55 African countries and, once entered into force, will constitute the largest free trade area globally. As a flagship project of the African Union's Agenda 2063, the AfCFTA aims to build an integrated market in Africa that will see a market of over one billion people with a combined GDP of approximately US$3.3 trillion," Davies said.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimates that the AfCFTA will increase intra-Africa trade from the current 10 to 16 percent, to approximately 52 percent by the year 2022.

Davies said that the AfCFTA would create a single set of rules for trade and investment among all African countries and provide legal certainty for traders and investors through the harmonisation of trade regimes.

"In support of these objectives, the AfCFTA covers both goods and services under Phase I and will include investment, intellectual property and competition under Phase II of the negotiations," Davies said.

"It also facilitates intra-Africa investment and increases the continent’s prospects of stimulating industrialisation, employment, income generation and poverty reduction."